i'm not nervous, or even remotely unsure of myself, very often.. last night at 4am or so, i was. i'd just heard a new track off from one of my favourite rappers.. soon as the short instrumental intro kicked in, i was hooked - to the point where i knew i had to write to the track.. this happens a couple times a month and i've even done a half-dozen dubplates/remixes for mixtapes and what not in the past, so it shouldn't have been a big deal.. except..
this particular track comes off of an album that's sure to debut at #1 and go down as either a classic, or close to.. the song also comes from the artist i regard as the most accomplished / best rapper of all time. in other words, off principle, this isn't a track i should record to.. i figured i'd write a few bars to the track and leave it at that - expression. then a crazy thought hit me.. wouldn't it be quite the personal challenge to see if i could come up with a verse that wasn't completely out of place alongside an artist i so revered? if you know anything about me, you know what came next.
almost 12 hours later, i don't hate what i wrote, or recorded.. i like it even, but i don't know if i love it.. i don't know if i don't love it because how much i loved the original version of this track.. but more than anything, i can't decide if remixing a track i pretty much knew i wouldn't be able to improve on was a good idea. i know i probably wouldn't have been as inspired to try and take this on if it hadn't been for Eminem's throwback ruthlessness on Drake's new single. I also know Jay-Z's flow on this song is unreal: the variation, syncopation and character he brings to the dramatic Timbaland beat immediately makes this one of my favourite Jigga songs to date, and that's before we've even addressed his trademark wit and poignant lyrics on a relevant subject matter..
without further adieu - you can listen to my remix of Jay-Z's "Reminder" at:
